Dixie Kong
A much more likely Kong cohort to make the modern sporting roster, Dixie Kong was thankfully reintroduced from her post-Rare recess in the Donkey Konga series, before at last cracking the Mario roster in Mario Superstar Baseball. Her appearances have been sporadic since then, but her chances for success have perhaps never been greater than they are now.
It’s apparent that Nintendo is feeling something of a Kong Fever at present (don’t worry, it’s not fatal as long as you don’t try to climb unfamiliar vines), with the big ape gifted his own DLC chapter in Mario + Rabbids, as well as a well-received port of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Moreover, Diddy Kong has been confirmed as a later call-up to the Mario Tennis Aces lineup, and – fingers crossed – our girl Dixie could see the light of day, too.
She is a natural choice for the ‘defense’ style of play first seen in Mario Power Tennis, found in characters with long reach that allows them to keep the ball in play. In Dixie’s case, her ponytail has proven to give her the power of flight, so it’s more than capable of brandishing a tennis racket, should the situation call for it. The addition of Funky Kong in Tropical Freeze might make him the more lucrative gorilla at the moment, but let’s be honest, guys: he’s just DK with sunglasses and a ‘tude. You don’t see Swanky Kong rearing his head lately, now do you?
